diff --git a/.github/workflows/pr-golangci-lint.yaml b/.github/workflows/pr-golangci-lint.yaml
index f711cd4c6c..67e5543207 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/pr-golangci-lint.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/pr-golangci-lint.yaml
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@ jobs:
           - packaging
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@08c6903cd8c0fde910a37f88322edcfb5dd907a8 # tag=v5.0.0
+        with:
+          fetch-depth: 0 # needed for --new-from-rev
       - name: Calculate go version
         id: vars
         run: echo "go_version=$(make go-version)" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
@@ -33,4 +35,4 @@ jobs:
           version: v2.1.0
           working-directory: ${{matrix.working-directory}}
       - name: Lint API
-        run: make lint-api
+        run: GOLANGCI_LINT_API_EXTRA_ARGS=--new-from-rev=${{ github.event.pull_request.base.sha }} make lint-api
diff --git a/.golangci-kal.yml b/.golangci-kal.yml
index 7dbc366f29..d606563962 100644
--- a/.golangci-kal.yml
+++ b/.golangci-kal.yml
@@ -94,4 +94,3 @@ linters:
 issues:
   max-same-issues: 0
   max-issues-per-linter: 0
-  new-from-merge-base: main
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index d26ec2fa0e..d380e7dddc 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -480,9 +480,11 @@ lint: $(GOLANGCI_LINT) $(GOLANGCI_LINT_KAL) ## Lint the codebase
 lint-fix: $(GOLANGCI_LINT) ## Lint the codebase and run auto-fixers if supported by the linter
 	GOLANGCI_LINT_EXTRA_ARGS=--fix $(MAKE) lint
 
+GOLANGCI_LINT_API_EXTRA_ARGS ?= "--new-from-merge-base=main"
+
 .PHONY: lint-api
 lint-api: $(GOLANGCI_LINT_KAL)
-	$(GOLANGCI_LINT_KAL) run -v --config $(ROOT_DIR)/.golangci-kal.yml $(GOLANGCI_LINT_EXTRA_ARGS)
+	$(GOLANGCI_LINT_KAL) run -v --config $(ROOT_DIR)/.golangci-kal.yml $(GOLANGCI_LINT_EXTRA_ARGS) $(GOLANGCI_LINT_API_EXTRA_ARGS)
 
 .PHONY: lint-api-fix
 lint-api-fix: $(GOLANGCI_LINT_KAL)